Abstract: A sample related system that includes a vacuum chamber, a load lock chamber that includes a first port that is interfaces with a first environment having a first pressure; a second port that interfaces with a second environment that comprises the vacuum chamber; a load lock chamber pressure control unit that is configured to control a pressure within the load lock chamber; and a mass measurement unit that is configured measure a mass of the sample, during at least one point in time, wherein during each point of time of the at least one point in time the load lock chamber is at a load lock chamber vacuum level. The load lock chamber is mechanically isolated from an environment of the sample related system. The vacuumed chamber is for performing a sample related operations elected out of sample evaluation or sample processing.

Abstract: A high voltage noise reduction unit that includes (i) an input that is configured to receive a high voltage input signal (HVIS); (ii) a positive isolated supply unit that is configured to receive the HVIS and to output a positive supply signal that floats on the HVIS; (iii) a negative isolated supply unit that is configured to receive the HVIS and to output a negative supply signal that floats on the HVIS; (iv) a low pass filter that is configured to filter the HVIS to provide a filtered high voltage signal; and (v) an amplifier that is configured to receive the positive supply signal, to receive the negative supply signal, to receive the filtered high voltage signal and amplify the filtered high voltage signal to provide a high voltage output signal.

Abstract: A method for high throughput defect detection, the method may include (i) performing, using first detection channels, a simultaneous inspection process through a segmented pupil plane that comprises multiple pupil plane segments to select one or more pupil plane segments of interest out of multiple pupil plane segments; (ii) configuring one or more configurable filters related to second detection channels to pass radiation received from the one or more pupil plane segment of interest and to block radiation received from one or more non-of-interest pupil plane segments; and (iii) performing, using the second detection channels, a partially masked pupil plane inspection process.

Abstract: A method and a system for illuminating a substrate, the system may include an acousto-optic device (AOD); and an etendue expanding optical module. The AOD may include a surface having an illuminated region; wherein the illuminated region is configured to receive a collimated input beam while being fed with a control signal that causes the illuminated region to output illuminated region output beams that are collimated and exhibit deflection angles that scan, during a scan period, a deflection angular range. The etendue expanding optical module is configured to convert the illuminated region output beams to collimated output beams that impinge on an output aperture; wherein a collimated output beam has a width that exceeds a width of an illuminated region output beam; and wherein the etendue expanding optical module comprises a Dammann grating that is configured to output diffraction patterns, each diffraction pattern comprises diffraction orders that cover a continuous angular range.

Abstract: A chuck that supports a sample in a processing chamber and comprises: a support plate formed from a dielectric material, the support plate including an upper planar support surface sized and shaped to retain a substrate disposed on the support plate; one or more electrodes disposed within the support plate proximate the upper planar support surface; a plurality of lift pin holes formed completely through the support plate; a plurality of stub cavities formed within the support plate, each stub cavity having an opening at the upper planar support surface; a plurality of retractable stubs corresponding in number to the plurality of stub cavities, wherein each retractable stub is disposed in a unique one of the stub cavities; and a stub lift mechanism operable to move each retractable stub in the plurality of stubs between a down position and an up position, wherein in the down position a distal end of the retractable stub is disposed within its respective stub cavity and recessed below the upper planar support

Abstract: An optical metrology model for in-line thickness measurements of a film overlying non-ideal structures on a substrate is generated by performing pre-measurements prior to deposition of the film and performing post-measurements after the deposition. The pre- and post-measurements are performed at at least one of multiple polarization angles or multiple orientations of the substrate. Differences in reflectance between the pre- and post-measurements are determined at the multiple polarization angles and the multiple orientations. At least one of the multiple polarization angles or the multiple orientations are identified where the differences in reflectance are indicative of a suppressed influence from the non-ideal structures. The optical metrology model is generated using the identified polarization angles and the identified orientations as inputs to a machine-learning algorithm.

Abstract: A system that includes a vacuum module that includes a first vacuum source, a first vacuum propagation path, a second vacuum source, and a second vacuum propagation path. The first vacuum source is configured to provide first vacuum of a first vacuum level, via the first vacuum propagation path, to a chuck. The chuck is mounted on a mechanical stage. The second vacuum source is configured to provide second vacuum at a second vacuum level, via the second vacuum propagation path, to the chuck. The second vacuum level exceeds the first vacuum level. The chuck is configured to apply at least one of the first vacuum or the second vacuum to the wafer. The first vacuum propagation path is configured to follow movements of the chuck. The second vacuum propagation path is configured to remain static despite the movements of the chuck.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for non-destructive classification of specimens. The system includes an e-beam source, an X-ray measurement module, and a computational module. The e-beam source is configured to project e-beams on a specimen at one or more e-beam landing energies, so as to penetrate the specimen and induce emission of X-rays. The X-ray measurement module is configured to measure the emitted X-rays. The computational module is configured to process the measurement data to obtain an energy signature of at least one target substance included in the specimen and classify the inspected specimen based on the obtained energy signature and one or more reference energy signatures pertaining to one or more reference specimens, respectively.

Abstract: A method of evaluating, with an evaluation tool that includes a first charged particle column, a region of interest on a sample that includes an array of holes separated by solid portions, the method comprising: positioning the sample such that the region of interest is under a field of view of the first charged particle column; and locally depositing material within the array of holes in the region of interest by: pulsing a flow of deposition gas to the region of interest by turning the flow of the deposition gas ON and then OFF; thereafter, scanning a charged particle beam generated by the first charged particle column across the region of interest; and iteratively repeating the pulsing and scanning steps a plurality of times to locally deposit material within the array of holes in the region of interest.

Abstract: A device for discharging an electrostatic chuck located within a vacuum chamber, the device includes a plasma distribution unit that is configured to receive plasma from an external plasma source that is located outside the vacuum chamber, and perform a distribution of the plasma within the vacuum chamber that discharges the electrostatic chuck. The device also includes a controller for controlling the distribution of the plasma; wherein the distribution of the plasma occurs during a plasma distribution period that is shorter than a duration of a plasma based cleaning process of the electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: A method of milling a diagonal cut in a region of a sample, the method comprising: positioning the sample in a processing chamber having a charged particle beam column; moving the region of the sample under a field of view of the charged particle column; generating a charged particle beam with the charged particle beam column and scanning the charged particle beam over the region of the sample along scan lines arranged parallel to a slope of the diagonal cut; and repeating the generating and scanning step a plurality of times to mill the diagonal cut in the region of the sample; wherein, for each iteration of the generating and scanning steps, a velocity of the charged particle beam is slower when the beam is near a deep end of the diagonal cut than when the beam is near a shallow end of the diagonal cut.

Abstract: A system for evaluating manufactured items that includes a memory module; an evaluation unit configured to execute instructions related to the evaluating of the manufactured items while applying a group of features; and a memory leakage unit configured to: select a first feature out of the group of features and disable an execution, by the evaluation unit, of instructions associated with the first feature at a presence of a memory leakage event. The first feature has a priority that is lower than a priority of a second feature of the group of feature. Priorities of features of the group of features are determined based on (i) priority information provided by one or more developers of the instructions related to the evaluating of the manufactured item, and (ii) usage information indicative of usage of the features of the group of features by the evaluation unit.

Abstract: A method for phase retrieval, the method may include (a) obtaining multiple out-of-focus intensity images of one or more point spread function targets; wherein the out-of-focus intensity images are generated by based on residual collected light signals obtained by a residual collection channel of an optical unit having a numerical aperture that exceeds 0.8; and (b) calculating phase information, based on the multiple out-of-focus intensity images and on a vectorial model of the point spread function.

Abstract: Analyzing a sidewall of a hole milled in a sample to determine thickness of a buried layer includes milling the hole in the sample using a charged particle beam of a focused ion beam (FIB) column to expose the buried layer along the sidewall of the hole. After milling, the sidewall of the hole has a known slope angle. From a perspective relative to a surface of the sample, a distance is measured between a first point on the sidewall corresponding to an upper surface of the buried layer and a second point on the sidewall corresponding to a lower surface of the buried layer. The thickness of the buried layer is determined using the known slope angle of the sidewall, the distance, and the angle relative to the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a region of interest of a sample with a sample evaluation tool that includes a focused ion beam (FIB) column, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column, and an atomic force microscope (AFM) instrument, the method comprising: transferring the sample into in a vacuum chamber of the sample evaluation tool; acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional images of the region of interest over a plurality of iterations of a delayering process by: (a) positioning the region of interest under a field of view of the FIB column; (b) milling a layer of material from the region of interest with the FIB column; (c) moving the region of interest under a field of view of the SEM column; (d) imaging the region of interest with the SEM column and measuring a depth of the milled layer in the region of interest with the AFM instrument; and repeating steps (a)-(d) a plurality of times without removing the sample from the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A method of automatic optimization of an examination recipe includes obtaining inspection data of a given layer of a semiconductor specimen acquired by an inspection tool during runtime examination, the inspection data including inspection images representative of defect candidates from a defect map of the given layer, extracting inspection features characterizing the inspection images, and using a classifier to classify the defect candidates based on the inspection features, giving rise to a list of defect candidates having a higher probability of being defects of interest (DOIs).

Abstract: A system for processing a sample comprising: a vacuum chamber having a window formed along one of its walls; a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a sample processing operation and move the substrate within the vacuum chamber along the X, Y and Z axes; a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber and focus the beam to collide with a region of interest on the sample; an optical distance measurement device configured to generate and direct electromagnetic radiation into the vacuum chamber through the window, detect photons from the electromagnetic radiation reflected off the sample, and determine a working distance between the sample and charged particle column based on the generated electromagnetic radiation and the detected photons; and one or more mirrors disposed within the vacuum chamber and positioned to direct the electromagnetic radiation generated by the optical distance measurement system to a measured locat

Abstract: A method of operating a substrate processing system that includes a substrate processing chamber, a substrate storage container and robot configured to select a substrate from the substrate storage container and transfer a selected substrate into the substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: detecting a lower edge and upper edge of the substrate; calculating a thickness of the substrate based on the detected lower and upper edges of the substrate; comparing the calculated thickness of the substrate to an expected thickness of the substrate; and (i) if the calculated thickness matches the expected thickness, controlling the robot to transfer the substrate into the substrate processing chamber, (ii) if the calculated thickness does not match the expected thickness, generating an alert indicating a thickness mismatch.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of examination of a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a sequence of frames of an area of the specimen acquired by an electron beam tool configured to scan the area from a plurality of directions, the sequence comprising a plurality of sets of frames each acquired from a respective direction; and registering the plurality of sets of frames and generating an image of the specimen based on result of the registration, comprising: performing, for each direction, a first registration among the set of frames acquired therefrom, and combining the registered set of frames to generate a first composite frame, giving rise to a plurality of first composite frames respectively corresponding to the plurality of directions; and performing a second registration among the plurality of first composite frames, and combining the registered plurality of first composite frames to generate the image of the specimen.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of assisting defect detection on a semiconductor specimen. The method includes obtaining a first map informative of multiple care areas (CAs) to be inspected on a die; creating a plurality of bounding rectangles (BRs) enclosing the multiple CAs; and compacting the plurality of BRs to a set of compacted rectangles to meet a predefined inspection capacity while attempting to minimize a non-CA area enclosed by the set of compacted rectangles, giving rise to a second map informative of the set of compacted rectangles. The compaction comprises constructing an R-tree structure representative of the plurality of BRs and compacted rectangles, and selecting a set of nodes from the R-tree structure based on the predefined inspection capacity and representative of the set of compacted rectangles. The second map is usable for filtering a defect map indicative of defect candidate distribution on the die.